New segment of "40-mile loop" trail to open in Troutdale

TROUTDALE -- A new segment of the 40-mile loop trail with views of the Sandy River opens Thursday.

The 1.8-mile segment was built atop a levee near the former Reynolds Metals aluminum smelter. It borders wetlands and open space on one side and industrial property, including the planned FedEx Ground distribution center, on the other. The trail was built with a $100,000 grant from Oregon State Parks.

Troutdale Mayor Paul Thalhofer, Metro Councilor Rod Park and Sam Ruda, director of Marine and Industrial Development for the Port of Portland, will open the trail at 10 a.m. Work on the FedEx distribution center begins Oct. 29.

The plan for the "40-mile loop" started 100 years ago with the idea for a walking trail that would connect parks along the Columbia, Sandy and Willamette rivers and Johnson Creek. Many gaps remain; the new segment helps fill part of the "Reynolds Gap."